Kaonashi

Kaonashi is a band with a purpose. The Philadelphia trio — Peter Rono, Alex Hallquist, Ryan Paolilli — seeks to generate empathy, compassion, and understanding in a world that is severely lacking all three. They channel their combined life experiences into an expansive fictional world with a singular tale of struggle and the ripple effect that strife often creates. As the members will tell you, it’s all about listening. If someone just listened, things might be different.

On their sophomore album, Dear Lemon House, You Ruined Me: Senior Year, Kaonashi expands on the foundation set by their debut EP with a fascinating tale of heartache and vengeance. The record follows Jamie, an androgynous high schooler who concocts a plan to enact revenge on those who’ve wronged them. As they attempt to keep their anger under control, compounding personal issues push Jamie to the breaking point until everything comes to a head with an epic three-song finale that explores what happens when people turn a blind eye to those in pain.

“We want this record to make people anxious,” says vocalist Peter Rono. “We want them to feel a sense of urgency. If they catch themselves thinking that they could do something to change the story of the album, then maybe — just maybe — they will take steps to make a difference in the world around them.”

Distilling the sound of Kaonashi into a few punchy adjectives is no easy task. The band’s music oscillates between profound moments of introspection and unbridled rage, all of which is brought to life with a lyrical catharsis that feels ripped from their inner monologues. Kaonashi isn’t afraid to grapple with mental health or to share the intimate details of their struggles in life. To them, transparency is the key to making people more comfortable with themselves and each other, which reinforces the goal of creating a better existence for all.